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Randox Grand National entries:
Ain’t That A Shame (Tom Ellis)
Amirite (Henry De Bromhead, Ireland)
Answer To Kayf (Terence O’Brien, Ireland)
Anyway (David Kenneth Budds, Ireland)
Appreciate It (Willie Mullins, Ireland)
Banbridge (Joseph O’Brien, Ireland)
Beaufort Scale (Gordon Elliott, Ireland)
Beauport (Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies)
Better Days Ahead (Gordon Elliott, Ireland)
Blaze The Way (Margaret Mullins, Ireland)
Blizzard Of Oz (Willie Mullins, Ireland)
Buddy One (Paul John Gilligan, Ireland)
Captain Cody (Willie Mullins, Ireland)
Champ Kiely (Willie Mullins, Ireland)
Croke Park (Gordon Elliott, Ireland)
Deafening Silence (Dan Skelton)
Deep Cave (Christian Williams)
Escaria Ten (Martin Keighley)
Favori De Champdou (Gordon Elliott, Ireland)
Final Orders (Gavin Cromwell, Ireland)
Firefox (Gordon Elliott, Ireland)
Flooring Porter (Gavin Cromwell, Ireland)
French Dynamite (Eric McNamara, Ireland)
Gentlemans Game (Mouse Morris, Ireland)
Gerri Colombe (Gordon Elliott, Ireland)
Gorgeous Tom (Henry de Bromhead, Ireland)
Grangeclare West (Willie Mullins, Ireland)
Grey Dawning (Dan Skelton)
Handstands (Ben Pauling)
Harry Des Ongrais (Henry de Bromhead, Ireland)
Haiti Couleurs (Rebecca Curtis)
High Class Hero (Willie Mullins, Ireland)
Hyland (Nicky Henderson)
I Am Maximus (Willie Mullins, Ireland)
Ile Atlantique (Willie Mullins, Ireland)
Impaire Et Passe (Willie Mullins, Ireland)
Imperial Saint (Philip Hobbs & Johnson White)
In d’Or (Fergal O’Brien)
Intense Raffles (Thomas Gibney, Ireland)
Iroko (Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero)
Jagwar (Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero)
Johnnywho (Jonjo & A J O’Neill)
Jordans (Joseph O’Brien, Ireland)
Leave Of Absence (Anthony Honeyball)
Lecky Watson (Willie Mullins, Ireland)
L’Homme Presse (Venetia Williams)
Marble Sands (David Killahena & Graeme McPherson)
Mister Coffey (Nicky Henderson)
Monbeg Genius (Jonjo & A J O’Neill)
Monty’s Star (Henry De Bromhead, Ireland)
Mr Vango (Sara Bradstock)
Myretown (Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore)
Nick Rockett (Willie Mullins, Ireland)
Now Is The Hour (Gavin Cromwell, Ireland)
O’Moore Park (Willie Mullins, Ireland)
Oscars Brother (Connor King, Ireland)
Paggane (Faye Bramley)
Panic Attack (Dan Skelton)
Perceval Legallois (Gavin Cromwell, Ireland)
Pic Roc (Ben Pauling)
Pied Piper (Gordon Elliott, Ireland)
Quai De Bourbon (Willie Mullins, Ireland)
Resplendent Grey (Olly Murphy)
Search For Glory (Gordon Elliott, Ireland)
Shanbally Kid (Willie Mullins, Ireland)
Soul Icon (Keiran Burke)
Spanish Harlem (Willie Mullins, Ireland)
Spillane’s Tower (Jimmy Mangan, Ireland)
Stellar Story (Gordon Elliott, Ireland)
Stolen Silver (Georgia Nicholls)
The Real Whacker (Paddy Neville)
The Short Go (Henry de Bromhead, Ireland)
Three Card Brag (Gordon Elliott, Ireland)
Top Of The Bill (Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies)
Twig (Ben Pauling)
Western Fold (Gordon Elliott, Ireland)
Weveallbeencaught (Eric McNamara, Ireland)
Will Do (Gordon Elliott, Ireland)
Yeah Man (Gavin Cromwell, Ireland)VF x
Only 29 entries from the UK. Scared off by Mullins.
Which horses are we surprised by not being entered? Has the fact that the top weight will be 165+ rated put the old school long-distance chaser off giving it a go?
I used to find the announcement of the National entries quite exciting. It was good to check which of my old favourites might be back for another go, which long-absent names might be reappearing, and which were this year’s more quirky entries.
That is of a time past though, and there is no longer any point entering the type of old faithful handicapper who made up much of the field back then. I accept that changes needed to be made, but am sad nevertheless that the race has lost some of its romance as a consequence.
“I used to find the announcement of the National entries quite exciting. It was good to check which of my old favourites might be back for another go”
Bonanza Boy was one of my favourites, the likes of Docklands Express, and years later Gas Line Boy and Saint Are.
I suppose I Am Maximus will run again this year but I don’t know if anything further down will ever get more than two goes at it now.
Coko Beach somehow managed four attempts (where’s he gone this year?!), but maintaining a handicap mark high enough for more than two attempts is a rarity now as you say GAG.
National declarations day used to be a highlight of my year, too, along with weights day when I would place a few bets. Culminating in the race itself. But I haven’t felt that way for several years, now. Somethings missing now.
Quelle Farce: “Which horses are we surprised by not being entered?”
I’d have liked to see The Changing Man go for this, and thought that was the plan. Haven’t seen mention of him in the media for a while, so perhaps he is injured. The Tizzard stable often don’t seem to be the most communicative about their stars.
Inothewayurthinkin would probably have been favourite had he lined up last year, but does not even get an entry this year. I know he has not been performing well recently, but think he is a spring horse, and his victory at Aintree in April 2024 was impressive.
Possibly just as well this will not be coming to to fruition, but I’d have been interested to see how Ahoy Senor fared in a National. Obviously jumping would be a concern, but he seems to love Aintree, and has the necessary class.
And does anyone know what has become of Kitty’s Light? He seems to have vanished after finishing fifth at Ascot in January 2025. He would still only be 10 now, despite having been a regular in long-distance chases for several years.
The Grand National was the race that hooked me in. Anyone who sat like me as a child and watched the 1973 National couldn’t help be spellbound by the sheer drama, thrill, danger & spectacle of that race.
When the entries came out each year I used to use a school exercise book to colour the jockey silks in and have a page for each horse entered with its form, connections etc. National day was bigger than Xmas Day to me.
Nowadays I look at what they’ve done to the once great race and have an overwhelming feeling of apathy bordering on antipathy towards the race.
They didn’t just remove the teeth & claws but also pretty much filleted the whole course. And when they reduced the distance they consigned to history every race that had gone before it. At that point I lost interest.
Marlingford Coko Beach was sold August last year headed to England for his next chapter Point To Pointing for the Stroud family.
He has yet to be seen on the point to point circuitVf x
Kitty’s Light was out injured last season and I know open day it was said he wasn’t yet back in training this was earlier in season, but not heard of he back into training to date
Vf x
Thanks for those updates vf, much appreciated.
Astralcharmer, I know exactly what you mean that National day used to be more exciting than Christmas Day. I can’t see the modern version of the race getting such a hold on people, or attracting newcomers to the sport in the same way.
We are never going to get the race back as it was though and, with reluctance, I think most of the changes made over the years have been necessary. Although quite a lot of the magic has gone, I am glad it is still around, and it still manages to make my pulse quicken as the runners line up.
Whether the race has changed or not we live in a different world. The Boat Race used to be a big deal but it isn’t anymore and nothing has particularly changed with that I’ve never been a fan of The National in 40 odd years.
The more I know the less I understand.
“The Boat Race used to be a big deal but it isn’t anymore and nothing has particularly changed with that …”
Spot on. The going always consistent too :)Chris Cook’s Handicap:
11-12 I Am Maximus
11-11 Banbridge, Nick Rockett
11-9 Grey Dawning
11-8 Gerri Colombe
11-7 L’Homme Presse, Spillane’s Tower
11-6 Grangeclare West
11-5 Flooring Porter
11-4 Appreciate It
11-3 Gentlemansgame
11-2 Haiti Couleurs, Impaire Et Passe, Western Fold
11-1 Firefox
11-0 Favori De Champdou, Monty’s Star
10-13 Lecky Watson, Three Card Brag
10-12 Champ Kiely, Handstands, Iroko
10-11 Mr Vango, Spanish Harlem
10-10 Beauport, Resplendent Grey
10-9 Better Days Ahead, French Dynamite, High Class Hero, Jagwar, Jordans, Stellar Story
10-8 Perceval Legallois, The Real Whacker
10-7 Captain Cody, Gorgeous Tom, Ile Atlantique, Quai De Bourbon
10-6 Ain’t That A Shame, Now Is The Hour
10-5 Answer To Kayf, Croke Park, Intense Raffles, Oscars Brother, Paggane
10-4 Panic Attack, Marble Sands
10-3 Blizzard Of Oz, Johnnywho, Leave Of Absence, Twig
10-2 Final Orders, Stolen Silver, Top Of The Bill
10-1 Amirite, Imperial Saint, Search For Glory
10-0 Buddy One, Hyland, Pied Piper, Soul Icon
9-13 Blaze The Way, Monbeg Genius, Myretown
9-12 Pic Roc, Deep Cave, Harry Des Ongrais, Yeah Man
9-11 Mister Coffey, O’Moore Park
9-9 Anyway, The Short Go
9-7 Shanbally Kid, Weveallbeencaught
9-5 In d’Or
9-4 Deafening Silence, Will Do
8-11 Beaufort ScaleProbably what bugs me is that they still call the race The Grand National. It’s just a very poor imitation and as such should be renamed so it doesn’t upset the sensibilities of those who think it’s still akin to the aftermath of the Charge of the Light Brigade.
I could do without all the faux excitement and talk of the ‘big fences’ when we all know Ludlow is probably more of a challenge now.
The BHA and Aintree played a game of Whack—a-mole endlessly altering the race in the name of safety only to cause another issue they hadn’t considered.
I still love the rest of the Aintree National meeting and would be happy to keep The Topham & Foxhunters but the National has had it’s day and even though I was once one of it’s biggest fans I would be quite content to see it consigned to history.
I’ll have Gorgeous Tom each way but De Bromhead has been consistently out of sorts during the last few seasons and I’m hoping the horse has a prep lined up.
Was the best of those to be held up in the Coral / Hennessy and is related to Cappa Bleu and, a bit further back in the pedigree, Cahervillahow..second in an Irish National, second in a Whitbread and second in the National that never was.
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